UN body for elimination of racial discrimination to question PRC delegation/ENG

2018. augusztus 2./Phayul.com/TibetPress

eredeti cikk

By Tenzin Dharpo

DHARAMSHALA, Aug. 2: The United Nations body that oversees the implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination will question a People’s Republic of China (PRC) delegation on August 10 and 13 after the review of the PRC’s national report to the 96th session of the body.

As per an official document dated June 13, the ‘UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination’ has sought additional information from the Chinese government. A set of questions or “list of themes” have been sent to the concerned Chinese government authorities, sources said.

Dharamshala based rights group Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy said that Chinese delegation will be asked on specific human rights related issues such as the protection of the civil and political rights of ethnic minorities like Tibetans, Mongolians and Uighurs, protection from discrimination and torture, and respect for the freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, association, religion or belief and movement, among other issues.

The list of themes will also include “land expropriation measures affecting ethnic minorities and on related compensation paid”; statistics disaggregated by “ethnic group on population of detention centres, prisons and mental institutions, and on individuals who died while either incarcerated or in police custody”; “bilingual education in ethnic minority areas” and “measures taken to promote and respect local and regional languages, cultures and traditions”, the rights group said.

TCHRD Director Tsering Tsomo said, “We believe this latest set of legitimate and legal questions over the treatment of minority nationalities by the Chinese government raises serious concerns about the cooperation PRC was giving to the Committee since many questions remain unanswered for decades.”

“China must realise that as a state party, it has the duty to provide full information to the Committee to prove that it respects, protects and fulfils its obligations under the Convention,” she added.